Machine-element key and the like.



W. L. MEAD,

MACHINE ELEMENT KEY AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED Jun 2. ml.

'WINTHROT L. MEAD, OE SOUTH GRANGE, NEW JEE$EY.

MAGHINE-ELEMENT KEY AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented a a, rate.-

Application filed Zuly 2, 1917. Serial No. 173034.

Eh all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Wm'rnnor L. MEAD, a citizen of the United States, and resident of South Orange, county of Essex, and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in and Relating to Machine-Element Keys and the iike, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in keys or retainin washers in the general class of machine elements, and the objects and nature of the invention will be readily understood by those skilled in the art in the light of the following explanation of the accompanying drawing illustrating What I now believe to be the preferred embodiment or mechanical expression of my invention from among other forms Within the spirit and scope thereof.

It is common practice to confine various machine elements against longitudinal movement from the ends of shafts, rods and other members, by split cotter pins passed through diametrical holes drilled in such members, the legs of the pins being spread to prevent retrograde movement of the pins from the members. Cotter pins are easily lost and mislaid and are subject to breakage and fracture, and such pins are also objectionable because of their more or less sharp or pointed projecting portionsthat often injure the hands of operators and catch and retain Waste or rags employed in wiping and cleaning machinery. Cotter pins are more or less objectionable in appearance and are exceedingly diflicult to apply in dark or inaccessible portions of machinery.

It is an object of my invention to provide a substitute for such cotter pins, that will overcome the objections mentioned and will be easy of application and durable in construction and that will reduce to the minimum objectionable projections and corners.

The invention consists in certain improvements in structure and formation or in com- ?oinations. as more fully and particularly set forth and pointed out hereinafter.

, Referring to the accompanying draw- ??igure 1, shows the end of a shaft or other mber having my cotter pin substitute zed thereon.

Fig. 2, is a detail view of the shaft end showing the annular slot or groove therein.

Figs. 3, 4 and 5, are detail views of the key before application.

In the drawings, I show the end portion of a rod, shaft or other member 1, on which some element, not shown, is to be confined against longitudinal movement therefrom. It is common shop practice, to drill a hole diametrically through the shaft end and insert a splitcotter pin to confine the element on the shaft, as hereinbefore set forth.

According to my invention, the end of the shaft is more or less slightly slotted or grooved to receive and hold the key or retaining washer against movement on and longitudinally of the shaft. The shaft end can be formed with a pair of parallel diametrically opposite parallel grooves or exterior slots or with an annular exterior groove or slot. The groove, whether continuous or composed of two slots is indicated in the drawing by the reference numeral 2. The shaft end is thus formed to hold a retaining washer or key straddling the grooved portion of the shaft, against movement on and longitudinally of the shaft, to form an abutment on the shaft and serve the purpose of a cotter pin or the like in retaining machine elements or other members on the shaft ."nd against longitudinal movement therefroi' A The key or retaining washer of my invengrooved portion of the shaft and is formed in any suitable manner or with any suitably arranged and located tongue or portion capable of springing or of being bent into operative position to engage the shaft and prevent radial removal of the washer from the shaft end. The-washer and its said locking tongue or other projection or portion can be composed of soft steel or any other suitable material capable of being bent or if so desired can be formed of spring metal. with the tongue in operative position and capable of being sprung from o erative position when the washer is applie to the shaft end and of then springing back into operative position to prevent radial movement of the washer from the shaft. The locking tongue can extend from any desired portion of the washer to close the open end of the slot rethe shaft or to so act as a 'tion is bifurcated or slotted to straddle the sto to obstruct the separation of the washer an shaft.

In the example illustrated, this key con groove, and straight para lel edge walls ti,

spaced a distance apart approximately equa to the diameter of the grooved portion of the shaft but less than the diameter of the adjacent non-grooved portion of the shaft. This plate, in the particular embodiment illustrated, is formed with a locking tongue 7 extending from the edge portion of the plate adjacent to the closed end of the shaft receiving slot. The particular tongue shown is of a length to extend diametrically across the transverse end face of the shaft with its free end 8 turned back longitudinally of the shaft and into the open end of the shaftreceiving slot, to lock the plate against movement radially of and from the shaft. The plate is integral with its locking tongue and can be struck up from suitable sheet metal or otherwise formed of material that will serve the purpose.

The key or retaining washer can be placed on the market, or produced ready for use, with the locking tongue joined to the closed end of the bifurcated plate,by'a forwardly curving base or connecting portion 9, and with the body or main'length of the tongue arranged beside the plate at a downward and outward inclination or angle, and with the free or locking extremity 8 bent back toward the plate and approximately at right angles to the body length of the tongue, as shown in Fig. 5, of the drawing. In this form, the curved connecting base 9 of the tongue is formed to space the upper portion of the straight length of the tongue from the adjacent face of the plate a distance approximately equal to the distance longitudinally of the shaft from the groove 2 to the transverse end face of the shaft, and the angle of inclination of the tongue is approximately such that the end 8 will be spaced from the face of the plate a suflicient distance to clear said end face of the shaft when the key is slipped onto the shaft. with the edges 6 fitting within the groove. When the retaining washer of the particular embodnnent illustrated, has been thus slipped onto the shaft with the closed end 5 fitting theshaft, the tongue can be hammered in aga nst the shaft end face and the end 8 PI'OJEClZEEl beneath the shaft and into the other end to receive the grooved naeaeao lower open end of the slot f as illustrated by Fig. 1 of the drawings.

When the retaining washer is formed of spring metal, the tongue will be normally in looking or operative position and must be sprung outwardly to clear the shaft end as the washer is applied and will then spring back intothe open end'of the slot and to operative position. I do not wish to limit my invention to the particular tongue illustrated which joins to the washer at the closed end of the slot as the essential feature is to provide the washer with'a tongue (and I use the term tongue in a broad sense to include any lockin portion of the washer) that'can be utilized to obstruct the open end of'the slot after the Washer has been applied to the shaft end, whether such tongue extends from the washer near the closed end of the slot or from the washer near the open end of the slot orfrom-some intermediateiportion thereof.

It will be noted that when thel'r'ey-isthus locked on the shaft end, the tongiie forms a deflecting guard over the she -t end, and sharp projections and corners are guarded and covered and possibility of injuryto the hands is reduced to the minimum, andia cotter pin substitute-is provided of max imum strength and durability, reducing i to the minimum projections on which waste can catch, and which can be easily and quickly applied and removed, and yet which is most effectively locked against accidental displacement or detachment.

What I claim is 1. A machine element key or retaining washer slotted to straddle the grooved end of a shaft or the like and formed integral with a locking tongue toengage the s aft and obstruct radial separating movement of the shaft and Washer.

2. An articlefor the purposes substantially as described, consisting of a plate having a slot closed at one end and open at the ortion of a shaft or the like, said plate having an integral portion to obstruct the open end of the plate after the application of the plate to the shaft and thereby lock the plate against displacement from the shaft.

An article for the purposes substantially as described consisting of a washer radially slotted to straddle the grooved end of a shaft against longitudinal movement thereon, said washer formed with a stop portion permitting application of the washer to the shaft end and adapted to engage the surface of the shaft adjacent to th open end of the slot to prevent radialmovement of the washer from the shaft.

4. A machine element key or the like consisting essentially of a slotted plate adapted to straddle a shaft end and formed with a locking tongue to traverse the end face of the shaft to which the key is applied and having a rearwardly extended free end to lock the key against radial detachment fr m 5 the shaft.

5. A locking key or the like consisting essentially of a plate having a slot open at one end and closed at the other end and adapted to receive a slotted shaft end, and

a tongue extending from the plate and hav- 10 ing a free end adapted to extend into the open end of the slot.

Signed.

WINTHROP L. MEAD. 

